Cannabis in the NBA and NFL?
Cannabis, weed, pot, or whatever you want to call it, Marijuana has been something that has always been very controversial, especially in sports. So, with the unofficial holiday of 4/20 coming up, what a better time to talk about it than now? Cannabis is a banned substance in three of the four major sports in North America, including the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
It is a banned substance, even though its performance enhancing effects have yet to be proven, other than in Olympic shooting sports, so this was the initial instance of marijuana being deemed as a PED. However, it is proven that marijuana can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and anxiety
The World Anti-Drug Agency (WADA) is the organization that mandates testing of PED in sports; this organization says that if a substance enhances performance in any sport then that substance is banned in all sports.
According to mcrlabs.com in 2013 the threshold for detectable marijuana was raised from 15ng/mL to 150 ng/mL, subsequently athletes are able to consume marijuana, but provides them enough time to drop their levels so that they can pass the drug tests. So, what does this mean? Do athletes use marijuana and should they be allowed to?
The NFL administers a once a year test for PEDs and then after that the players are not tested again until the following year. Former NFL player John Moffitt says that “in a way the NFL is looking away” he says this is because so many members involved in the NFL consume the substance themselves.
Recently, BleacherReport.com released a video of several former and retired NFL and NBA athletes that opened up on the use of marijuana for them and within their respective sports. The players were quoted as saying that nearly “85% of the NBA smokes weed” and almost “89% of the NFL smokes as well,” and this is more than just players, apparently GMs, coaches, and team executives are consuming as well.
These athletes say that cannabis helps them to recover from injuries. And they say that instead of having athletes prescribed to very addictive substances such as opioids, marijuana is a much safer and cheaper way to help your body heal. Kenyon Martin, 15 year NBA veteran has went through multiple reconstructive surgeries and he says that marijuana was a huge factor in helping him recover so that he was able to consistently play at a high level.
Adam Silver, NBA commissioner, when asked about allowing marijuana in the NBA said “Marijuana is on our banned substance list. We are, however, interested in better understanding the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana.” In this we can see the progressive movement towards marijuana legalization within sports.
Many athletes also say that marijuana can be very beneficial for training and recovery, but it is also more than that. Former NBA player Matt Barnes says that marijuana was very influential in helping him cope with his divorce and other hardships he has faced in life.
Stephen Jackson, another former NBA player says that one of the most important moments in his life was the time he shared cannabis with his grandmother. His grandmother was prescribed several different types of medicines that were supposed to help her, and one of her ailments was glaucoma, so Jackson suggested that she consume marijuana. He gave her some and when he came back in the room she was in tears, crying and saying “ive been healed” she was unable to see the pages of her bible for 3 years but when she consumed the cannabis she was able to read and this was a life-altering experience for Jackson and his grandmother alike.
So, should weed be allowed in professional sports? This is a hard question to answer with support for both sides, but in terms of the players’ opinions they would definitely like to see the rules change. It has been shown that it only enhances performance in gun shooting sports, not 3point shooting events. The players are doing this anyways so why try to take this away, when in most cases it does not seem to support their performance, but rather to impact the quality of their lives.
